French Conversation · Level 111
59 words
French word
exergue
Pronunciation
IPA/ɛgzɛʁg/
Meaning
- masculine nouninscription
Example
L'exergue de la médaille porte la date.
The inscription on the medal bears the date.
More examples
Le livre commence par un exergue.
The book begins with an epigraph.
Core concept
A compact line of text placed at the outer base of a medal, coin, or monument, like a label beneath its main image.
Similar words
inscription: Engraved text on a building, monument, or similar structure.
légende: A short caption explaining the content of a photograph or diagram.
Definition in French
Courte inscription gravée, souvent portée au revers d'une médaille, sur une pièce ou sur la base d'un monument pour indiquer une date, un nom ou une devise.
Word origin
French exergue comes through Medieval Latin exergium from Greek exergon, built from ex- for 'outside' and ergon for 'work'.
Usage tips
- Exergue is masculine in French, so standard usage is un exergue and l'exergue, despite its ending in -e.